1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bird feeders, and more particularly to bird feeder assemblies of the kind which are mounted in the bottom of a bird cage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various feeding means used in conjunction with bird cages are well known. The most simple of these includes a cup member which may be inserted directly through and fixedly held by a pair of adjacent bird cage wires. Another example consists of a cup which is insertable through an opening towards the bottom of the cage, and is retained in the opening by means of a gate or panel which slides downwardly over the opening.
A bird feeding system presently manufactured by Duett Manufacturing Company, Inc. of Long Island City, New York, includes two cup members which are insertable within respective recesses in a tray which, in turn, slides into the bottom of the bird cage. When using this system, however, it is necessary to slide the tray partly out of the cage to gain access to the cup members in order to refill them with food or water. Therefore, even though it is not necessary to have access to any portion of the tray itself to refill the cups with food or water, the tray must still be moved outwardly from the cage when it becomes necessary to replenish the supply of food or water.
The Duett feeding system also incorporates a hood member which covers the food cups while they are inside the cage to prevent bird excrement from dropping therein. When the tray is removed from the cage, the hood member swings downwardly to cover the opening through which the tray is withdrawn so that a bird cannot escape from inside the cage through the opening.